1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to ammunition for target practice and, more particularly, is concerned with a semi-wadcutter bullet capable of making clean holes in target paper during shooting practice and with a method of manufacturing the bullet.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Law enforcement personnel, sportsmen and others typically engage in target practice at firing ranges on a frequent basis to maintain their skills in shooting accuracy. One type of ammunition used for target practice rounds is a semi-wadcutter bullet. Such type of bullet ordinarily has a long cylindrical body and a short frustoconical. nose merging with the front end of the body at a generally radially-extending annular ledge. Semi-wadcutter bullets predominantly are composed of lead only, although such type of bullet has been produced heretofore with a short jacket encompassing a lower portion of the lead body and spaced below the annular ledge.
Marginal accuracy and excessive barrel leading and excessive airborne lead are well known concerns of all-lead semi-wadcutter bullets in high velocity applications. Accuracy of the lead bullet is adversely affected by vaporization of portions of the rear end of the bullet body, resulting from ignition of the propellant charge. Such destruction of rear end portions of the bullet distorts the symmetrical configuration thereof which is requisite for accurate flight. Undesired leading of the barrel occurs due to radial expansion of the bullet as it accelerates down the barrel.
Radial expansion of the lead bullet also can adversely impact the scores which can be attained by the target practice participants Bullet expansion tends to degrade or destroy the sharpness of the profile of the annular ledge which determines the quality of the hole made in the target paper by the bullet. For example, radial expansion can cause rounding of the ledge which results in the bullet making tears in the target paper rather than clean cut holes. Target tears make it difficult to identify closely spaced bullet holes and to score bullet holes that are close to the various lines on the target. oftentimes resulting in a reduction of the score.
In an attempt to improve the above-described deficiencies of some current lead semi-wadcutter bullets, several additional costly operations, i.e., gas checks and rehitting, are required to produce such bullets with acceptable performance. A gas check operation refers to placing a short (brass) cup over the base of a lead bullet in order to obturate the bullet heel. Gas check bullets do not eliminate airborne lead due to the lead-barrel interface occurring during in bore acceleration. The gas check tends to scrap bore clean and expel the lead into the atmosphere, thus, creating airborne lead, semi-jacketed bullets would result the same phenomenon. A rehit operation refers to returning bullet component to bullet assembly press after supplementary operations are performed, (i.e. knurling).
Consequently, a need exists for a new semi-wadcutter bullet which will overcome concerns with accuracy and leading raised by bullets manufactured heretofore and for a method of manufacture which will render such new bullet cost effective.